HYPNOSIS FAQ

WHAT IS HYPNOSIS?
Hypnosis is likely the most important tool available to change the way you perceive and interpret the world. 

While the word HYPNOSIS draws up images of people waving their arms and acting like chickens for some, it is actually defined simply as a focused and relaxed state of concentration.  It is a state we each pass through at least twice a day just before falling asleep and just before waking up.  It was discovered many years ago that when people are in this particular state of relaxation, they are more receptive to suggestion and change.  The state of hypnosis, or trance, does not feel unusual at all.  It is literally a state of deep relaxation.  You may feel as though you are drifting (that drifting feeling you feel just before falling asleep).  In this state you are able to easily utilize your imagination.  Access to visualization skills and sensory stimulation are heightened. 

When you are daydreaming you are actually in a state of hypnosis.  When you are driving and you arrive at home or work without remembering the route taken, you were in a state of hypnosis.  Unfortunately, this puts us in a position to be our own worst enemy.  What are you thinking about when you are driving your routine route? What are you thinking about each night as you fall asleep?  Are you being critical or yourself or others?  Running through an argument or ruminating about resentments from the day?  Whether or not you are intentionally utilizing hypnosis, you are passing through this state daily.  Whether or not you realize it, you are reinforcing either positive or negative beliefs and behaviors regularly.

The purpose of hypnotherapy is to use this naturally occurring state of mind to your advantage.  Your hypnotherapist will create an experience that supports and reinforces the changes you have been trying to acheive.  Because you are in a relaxed and receptive state the subconscious experiences the session as though it were real, and creates a real memory based upon the experience.  The result is a profound and direct impact on your waking behavior.


WHO CAN BE HYPNOTIZED?
Anyone can be hypnotized.  The only condition is that you be willing.  You cannot force yourself to go into a state of hypnosis, nor can you be forced into hypnosis by someone else.  Hypnosis is about “allowing” your body and mind to relax and settle….Opening your mind and allowing your own suggestions and desires to sink in.


CAN HYPNOSIS MAKE ME DO OR SAY SOMETHING I DON’T WANT TO?
Most people have been exposed to stage hypnotism either personally or through a movie.  You’ve seen or heard about people doing silly things while hypnotized.  What you don't know is that stage hypnotists are trained to carefully select their subjects based upon personality type.  The people you have seen on stage likely volunteered to be there knowing exactly what would happen next.  They were open to the possibility of acting silly, so they accepted the suggestion. 

You are the only one who can determine what you will or will not do.  Any suggestions which are in opposition to your morals or values will be automatically dismissed.  You typically go into a hypnotherapy session with a particular goal in mind.  The beneficial suggestions which are directly related to your goal, and are not in opposition to your moral code, will be accepted readily by your subconscious.


WHAT IF I DON’T REALLY BELIEVE HYPNOSIS WILL WORK? 
IS IT EVEN WORTH IT TO TRY?
Remember that hypnosis is not about “trying”.  It’s about allowing.  That said, it is not unusual for the conscious mind to be skeptical about hypnotism.  We’ve all heard plenty of mystical tales about hypnosis which justify this skepticism.  Fortunately, you don’t have to believe in hypnotism for it to be effective.  The fact that you are willing to “try” it suggests that somewhere in your mind you believe there is a possibility it “might” work.  The temptation of your conscious mind might be to go into the first few sessions from an intellectual perspective….watching and waiting for the moment you slip into hypnosis.  You will have greater success at a quicker pace if you determine in advance that you will simply relax and "allow" without concern for the specifics. It is difficult, if not impossible to thoroughly relax while sorting for feelings or thoughts that signify hypnosis has begun.   By simply deciding in advance that you will give your conscious mind a break during the session you will benefit greatly. Your hypnotherapist will help you to intellectually evaluate how the session went afterward if that is something which interests you.  

Either way, if you relax and access your imagination during the session, allowing images, emotions, sounds, and feelings to enter your mind through the words of the hypnotherapist, your mind will experience the session as if it were real.  Your mind will absorb the experience and a real memory will be created.  There have been many brain imaging studies which support this fact.  Hypnotherapy can be profoundly effective for anyone who is willing to allow for the possibility that it might work.  Even if you are skeptical, you will start to see and feel changes quite quickly. 


I’VE TRIED MEDITATING AND MY MIND ALWAYS WANDERS. 
IS HYPNOTHERAPY RIGHT FOR ME IF I CAN’T STAY FOCUSED?
Your conscious mind may be drifting, but your subconscious mind is aware of everything that is happening in the room.  During a hypnotherapy session you will want to allow yourself to relax and drift through the session.  Sometimes your conscious mind will need to release thoughts in order to relax.  Sometimes the thoughts that come to mind will bring insight.  Other times they are a way for your conscious mind to step aside and occupy itself while allowing your subconscious to absorb.  If you notice that you’ve been drifting during a session, simply breath in deeply and allow yourself to hear the voice of your hypnotherapist again.  Allow yourself to drift.  Rest assured that your subconscious is still on duty when your conscious mind wanders off.  If you find that your conscious mind is frequently wandering, and you’d like to experience the hypnotherapy session in a different way, try scheduling your session for a different time of day.


WHAT IF I FALL ASLEEP DURING A SESSION?
It is not uncommon for people to fall asleep during a session, particularly if listening while laying down or at bedtime.  The optimal state of mind for hypnosis is that period just before falling asleep.  Sometimes while in this state it feels as though you actually are asleep.  If you notice yourself “waking up” when the hypnotherapist is closing the session, your subconscious mind was still on duty throughout the session.  Some hypnotherapists may suggest interactive hypnotherapy sessions.  In this case, your participation is required and the hypnotherapist might suggest a different time of day, or a different position in your chair to keep you in just the right state of mind for interaction.


WHAT IF I DON’T WAKE UP?
It is impossible to get stuck in a state of hypnosis.  If you fall asleep you will either awake naturally or the hypnotherapist will wake you.  Often you may think you were asleep only to be drawn back to bodily awareness by the voice of the hypnotherapist counting you up into conscious awareness.


WHAT IF I HAVE TROUBLE RELAXIND DURING THE SESSION?
If you haven’t been hypnotized or used meditation in the past, intentionally relaxing to this degree can feel new and unfamiliar.  It is usually easier to start by telling yourself you will allow yourself to relax to the extent you can.  Tell yourself that relaxation will come easier with each session.  Your mind adjusts to the concept, and with each session relaxation truly is easier.  This process happens quickly if you allow it to.  Putting pressure on yourself, or judging yourself because you aren’t relaxing enough in the initial sessions isn’t helpful. 

If you are concerned that you might have difficulty relaxing in the first few sessions, try to schedule at a time when you are already tired, as you naturally pass through a state of hypnosis when falling asleep.  Your hypnotherapist may make you a practice cd to listen to several nights a week prior to the between sessions. Try to avoid caffeine in the hours prior to a session as it naturally inhibits the process for some people.


WILL I REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS DURING THE SESSION?
There are occasions when you will go very deeply into hypnosis and experience amnesia of part or all of the session.  However, more frequently than not you remember most, if not all of what happens.  Hypnotherapists may make suggestions one way or the other depending upon the type of work you are doing.  Some hypnotherapists feel it is more beneficial when the client remembers the session.  Their suggestions will often reflect this belief.  In this situation, the session will typically be retrieved at some point or another as a memory. 


HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR HYPNOSIS TO START WORKING?
Everyone is different, but most people begin to see at least subtle difference right away.  Those who have meditated or used hypnosis before will notice significant changes right away.  You can teach your brain to respond even if you haven’t done mindful work in the past.  Be sure to mention this to your hypnotherapist so they can help you to quickly and efficiently create the foundation for your hypnotherapy sessions. 

It is not uncommon to see profound changes in just one day with hypnotherapy.  Other clients who have less experience in deep relaxation will see gradual changes over the course of a few days to a few weeks.